RECENTLY, AT A RESTAURANT IN BOSTON, WE NOTICED THAT THEY USED PRESSED CARDBOARD INSTEAD OF PLASTIC. 

WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THE HABIT OF CARRYING REAL UTENSILS WITH US BECAUSE THE PLASTIC IS AWFUL!  YOU CAN'T EVEN CUT WITH PLASTIC KNIVES....SUCH A WASTE!

IF WE CHANGE OUR HABITS, THESE THINGS WILL MAKE GREATER SENSE.  

Momentum builds across Cape Cod to ban plastics

By Christine Legere

Posted Jan 15, 2020

A handful of Cape towns are working to prohibit the use of disposable polystyrene cups, bowls, trays and containers commonly used for takeout food and leftovers.

A handful of Cape Cod communities are working to do their part for human health and environmental preservation by prohibiting the use of disposable polystyrene cups, bowls, trays and containers commonly used for takeout food and leftovers.

In Yarmouth, the Recycling and Solid Waste Advisory Committee is working on a proposal for a town meeting in the fall. In Chatham and Orleans, previously voted bylaws went into effect Jan. 1. And in Falmouth, prohibitions began in September.

Expanded polystyrene, frequently referred to by the brand name Styrofoam, is not biodegradable, and such products frequently end up in the environment, affecting wildlife in the water and on land.

Their chemical components also are believed to be a risk to humans, during the manufacture of the polystyrene products and possibly leaching carcinogens into food when takeout containers are heated.

The community bylaws restrict use of polystyrene items in schools, concessions, farmers markets, food trucks and other such venues.

Some of the bylaws, such as the provisions instituted in Orleans, also prohibit use of other items that commonly accompany takeout orders, such as plastic straws, cup lids and cutlery. Biodegradable or recyclable alternatives are now required.

Orleans business owners knew the restrictions were coming, but there were challenges to finding solutions that would work.

Costs are higher for recyclable or compostable products, fewer suppliers offer them and it can take time for customers to get used to the changes.

Bilyana Yoreanova, the manager of Hole In One in Orleans, said she noticed the difference when the bakery started using paper cups for hot coffee. “The foam cup was easier to hold,” she said. Some customers are asking for cup sleeves, which results in an additional business cost.

Will Hollinger, one of the owners of Three Fools, a sandwich and pizza restaurant in Orleans, said some increased costs related to the switch from polystyrene resulted in customers being charged more for some products.

When it came to the change from plastic to compostable bamboo cutlery, however, the cost of 29 cents per package was too great to pass along. It isn’t just a matter of expense, Hollinger said. He doesn’t like the experience of eating with bamboo utensils. While he is considering going back to using regular silverware, the move would require permission from the Board of Health and the removal of a few seats in his restaurant to meet septic flow requirements.

Still, Hollinger said he understands the need for the new restrictions. “At the end of the day, the bylaw is good for the environment,” he said.

A few towns away in Yarmouth, selectmen say they would support adoption of a polystyrene reduction bylaw that would prohibit use of items such as cups and takeout containers, but are not on board with additional provisions that would prevent the use of plastic cutlery. During a discussion in the fall, Selectman Eric Tolley said prohibiting plastic cutlery in a town that’s a tourist destination is unrealistic, since many visitors rely on takeout food.

During a meeting Tuesday, advisory committee member Mary Vilbon, who also is executive director of the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce, said a prohibition on plastic cutlery would be a burden for businesses. “You’re asking a lot from businesses if you put everything at once,” Vilbon said.

Committee members agreed and voted not to include additional items, such as cutlery, in the polystyrene reduction bylaw. “That could be a separate bylaw maybe a year from now,” co-chairwoman Jill Talladay said.

Yarmouth’s businesses were sent an online survey this week, asking whether they use polystyrene or alternatives, and what concerns they might have with a local polystyrene reduction bylaw.

Kate and Mark Corliss opened Old King’s Coffeehouse on Route 28 in West Yarmouth last year. The couple decided to use environmentally friendly materials for their takeout cups, which are made from paper, with a reinforced layer to protect customers from the heat of the brews within. They also sell thermal metal travel mugs and reusable steel straws.

Scofflaws of the Cape’s polystyrene restrictions may end up paying fines. In Dennis, violators are charged $50 for the first violation, $100 for the second and $200 for the third and subsequent offenses. Yarmouth’s draft contains similar penalties.

Orleans kept it simple: $50 per offense. And in Chatham, the first offense merely results in a written warning, while the second offense prompts a $25 fine and the third a fine of $50.

Provincetown’s bylaw, which went into effect in June, includes prohibitions on polystyrene cups, plates and takeout containers, along with plastic straws, cup lids and cutlery. The town also instituted some steep penalties for violators, with a $300 fine for third and subsequent offenses.

Nantucket was the region’s front-runner in curbing the use of Styrofoam products. Islanders approved the bylaw in 1990.